


Mistakes

by lod



Category: Persona 4
Genre: Caught, Dojima makes me sad, Embarrassment, Heart-to-Heart, M/M, Yosuke's texting is torture to write
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-28
Updated: 2019-05-28
Packaged: 2020-03-26 13:51:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19007098
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lod/pseuds/lod
Summary: Yu ends up in an awkward situation, and is determined to avoid the consequences of his actions as long as possible. Which turns out to be not very long.





	Mistakes

**Author's Note:**

  * For [treya_barton](https://archiveofourown.org/users/treya_barton/gifts).



> I've been busy lately so not doing most of souyo week, but took the time to write this for "Avoiding Dojima" as a gift to Treya. Thanks for hosting this event -- all these fics at once are definitely _my_ late birthday gift!

There was something playing on his bedroom’s TV, some show or perhaps a movie — Yu couldn’t have said what precisely to save his life, even though he’d been watching it intently earlier. At some point, though, Yosuke’s arm around his shoulders had shifted until Yu was lying on his couch with Yosuke straddling him, hands pinned above his head. The only thing on Yu’s mind now was the fact that, with Nanako at a sleepover and Dojima working late, this might be the first time they went any further than kissing. The thought made a shiver run down his spine, at which Yosuke pulled back and smirked down at him dangerously.

“Need a break, partner?”

“Yosuke, if you stop now, so help me…”

Yosuke, ever the obliging boyfriend, leaned down to press a row of kisses down his neck.

“You feel really warm,” he whispered against his skin. “Need some help with that?” Not waiting for a reply, he shifted so he was holding both of Yu’s wrists with one hand, using the other to deftly pop open the buttons on his shirt.

_Has he been practicing that?_ Yu thought fleetingly, before Yosuke’s expert mouth convinced him to forego rational thought for the time being. His answering moan, however, was unexpectedly cut short.

“Yu, where did Nanako say she was spen— _oh_.”

Yu sat up so fast he dumped Yosuke right on the floor. In the doorway, his uncle stood with a hand still on the doorknob, an uncharacteristic embarrassed flush on his face. Yu quickly dropped his gaze, reaching up with one hand to fix his hair while the other clasped his open shirt shut, and wondered if maybe his TV wasn’t big enough to jump into after all. Sure, shadows weren’t very friendly, but they couldn’t be as bad as whatever was coming for him in the real world.

He braced himself for an outburst, but Dojima stayed silent. When Yu dared to look up, he saw him backing away awkwardly, pulling the door shut as he went and mumbling, more to himself than to them, “I should have knocked. I should _definitely_ have knocked.”

It took Yu and Yosuke another few minutes to catch their breath and look at each other, one’s dread mirroring itself on the other’s face.

“I am _so dead_ ,” Yu breathed.

“You’re dead? _You’re dead?!_ ” Yosuke replied in a forced whisper. “What about me?! He’s gonna kill me! I have to go into hiding. Wait. Isn’t the police supposed to help you go into hiding? _He works for the police, Yu!_ ”

Yu slipped to the floor. “What if he doesn’t want me living here anymore? If he sends me home, I won’t be able to finish the investigation!”

“Whoa, partner,” Yosuke replied, his tone instantly much calmer and rather concerned. “Don’t you think you’re overreacting? He’s your family. _And_ you’re Nanako’s favorite. He’s not gonna kick you out. Look, we’ll just… give him some time to calm down and go apologize, ok?”

Yosuke was most likely right, but Yu still felt like an absolute idiot for not being more careful — maybe locking his door, at the very least. His uncle had finally seemed to be getting closer to him, after many evenings spent mostly ignoring each other around the dinner table, and he felt like he’d undone all that in one fell swoop.

Apologizing did seem like a good start, but the last thing Yu wanted was for Yosuke to still be around when he did that. He’d seen how Dojima got around Adachi when he messed up; he didn’t want Yosuke to get yelled at like that, or to hear it directed at himself, either. Luckily, there was no need to attempt sneaking Yosuke out through his window, as his uncle chose that moment to go take a shower.

“You should leave while he’s in there,” Yu said.

“What? I’m not leaving you to face him alone!”

Bless Yosuke’s loyalty, but right now, it really wasn’t helping. “It’s probably better if you’re not here, actually. Considering you _being_ here was kind of the problem in the first place…”

“Ah. Right…” Yosuke still seemed hesitant, but Yu could tell his fear of Dojima was winning out Honestly, he was impressed he hadn’t immediately run out the moment the opportunity presented itself.

“I’ll be fine. Like you said, I’m Nanako’s favorite, right?”

Yosuke nodded, relief evident on his face as he stuffed his homework — undone, of course — back into his bag. “Text me later, alright?”

* * *

To Yu’s surprise, his uncle didn’t come back upstairs to talk to him after his shower, but instead headed out in his car, leaving him alone in the house. He was also spared any confrontation the next morning, as Dojima had already left when he got up. That evening, though, he walked through the front door after his daycare job to see his uncle at the dinner table, a question half-formed on his lips. All his plans of apologizing suddenly went out the door, replaced by an innate urge to flee.

“Nanako, Uncle, I’m back. I have to finish a big project for school, I’ll be in my room all evening,” he said quickly, and hurried up the stairs to his room.

So it went for the rest of the week; he stayed out late at various clubs and jobs, made a show of being in a hurry in the morning, and generally found any possible excuse not to give answer to the questioning looks on his uncle’s face — which he might have noticed didn’t seem too angry at first, if he’d only taken the time to pay attention, but grew more and more annoyed as the days went on.

* * *

Yu had, at some point in the past few months, picked up Dojima’s authoritative voice and started emulating it in his role as leader in the TV world. He found it particularly efficient when he needed people to obey immediately. As such, it shouldn’t have surprised him to find it turned against him, that Saturday evening when he slipped in and tried to head right to his bedroom.

“Yu, sit down,” his uncle told him in that voice that brooked no opposition.

Yu did so with his heart racing. Meanwhile, Dojima got up from his seat and went to Nanako where she was sitting by the TV.

“Can you go play in your room for a little bit, Nanako? Yu and I need to talk.”

“Is he in trouble?” he heard her ask in her small, worried voice. Great; now he felt guilty, too. He’d never meant to upset her.

“No, he’s not,” Dojima replied reassuringly, even managing to make it sound like the truth. “I’ll call you back down when we’re done, okay?”

Nanako nodded, though she still looked concerned, and left. When Yu heard her bedroom door click shut, he realised to his surprise that he was bouncing his leg; showing this much emotion was entirely unlike him. He was usually very good at keeping his cool in all situations, but the Dojima residence felt like home in a way few other places ever had. He was terrified of having ruined that somehow.

Dojima sat in his customary chair, glanced at Yu, then sighed and got back up. After a few moments in the kitchen, he pressed a cup of hot tea into Yu’s hands.

“Relax, would you?”

Yu looked up and nodded, not quite managing to obey the order, but the fact that Dojima didn’t look particularly angry gave him pause. He’d expected to be told how inappropriate his actions had been, or perhaps scolded for his choice of partner, but Dojima just looked… disappointed.

“You’ve been avoiding me all week. I know I’m not your parent, but I thought we were getting along well.”

Yu dipped his head the slightest bit, hiding behind the curtain of his bangs. Dojima tapped his fingers on the table when he didn’t respond.

“This is about Yosuke, isn’t it?”

No more avoiding it now, Yu thought.

“Look, I’m sorry I didn’t knock. I’m not used to having a teenager around, you know. Parenting doesn’t come naturally to me. I’m doing my best, but it’s not fair of you to keep holding it against me. It’s not fair to Nanako, either.”

Yu’s head rose at those words, a disbelieving expression painting itself on his face.

“You’re not _mad_?”

Dojima frowned and raised an eyebrow.

“Why would I be mad?”

“I thought… because we were in your house? And … Yosuke?”

Dojima ran a hand over his face, seeming a bit out of his depth. “It’s your house too. Nanako wasn’t home, nor was I supposed to be. You can’t be blamed for thinking you had privacy. I’d rather you did that in your room than somewhere out in town, anyway. At least that way you won’t get my colleagues called over for public indecency… It’s been two years and everyone at the office still makes jokes about how they found Takamoto’s son handcu—well,” he broke off as Yu’s face grew more and more red, “in any case. You’re not a child anymore. As long as you’re being safe, what you do in your room is no concern of mine. You _are_ being safe, right?”

He paused, long enough that Yu realised he actually expected an answer. He didn’t think it was possible to get any redder than he was — there wasn’t really anything to be safe _about_ , at this point, but the last thing he wanted was to give his uncle a detailed description of precisely how far his relationship with Yosuke had developed. On the other hand, getting _the talk_ from Dojima would likely end with both of them unable to look at each other for months. He settled for a rapid nod, which luckily seemed to be enough to appease his uncle’s worries.

“As for Yosuke…” Dojima trailed off, appearing to be hunting for words.

Yu took the opportunity to sip some of the tea he still held in his hands. The warmth, together with the knowledge that his uncle apparently really _was_ okay with what had happened, helped to finally calm him back down.

“I have to admit, I was a little surprised. I actually thought you were dating Rise, with how she hangs off of you.”

“No, I’m—”

“Yes, Yu, I’m now well aware you’re not,” Dojima cut him off with a chuckle. “Look, Yosuke’s a good kid, at least when he’s not waving swords around the food court. You could do much worse. I’ve seen him working at Junes, he’s pretty responsible. And… I’m not blind. I can tell how happy he makes you. You were so quiet when you got here, but he really pulled you out of your shell.” Dojima leaned back in his chair, a small smile on his lips. “Heh, maybe I shouldn’t have been so surprised after all.”

Considering Yu himself had been quite stunned by Yosuke’s confession, what with the way he’d told Yu hugs were “for girls,” he thought his uncle was perhaps being a little too harsh on himself.

“If he ever hurts you, though, you let me know,” Dojima continued with a glint in his eye that left Yu worried for any potential suitors in Nanako’s future. “I’ll make sure it’s handled.”

“He won’t,” Yu assured him, not wanting the conversation to go any further in this vein. Yosuke was afraid enough of his uncle without adding any overt threatening into the mix.

“No, I can’t imagine he would, would he.”

Dojima swirled his cup’s contents, lost in thought. This was, by far, the most he’d ever spoken to Yu at once. It was a bit overwhelming, especially considering he’d been preparing himself for a talking-to. He’d never expected that his uncle would be ok with it, be ok with _Yosuke_. He still couldn’t quite believe it.

“So, you really don’t mind?” he asked, his voice just a bit unsteady.

His uncle looked at him for a long moment, an odd look on his face. It felt, to Yu, like he was being looked at a little bit more like an equal, a little less like a child. When he finally replied, his voice was distant, forlorn.

“You’re well-aware, I believe, of the absence of Nanako’s mother in this house. Well. They say you don’t know the value of something until you lose it. Believe me, then, when I say that I know the value of love, and that I am not in the business of denying it to those who still have it.”

Yu sat frozen at those words, unsure how to respond. It felt like he’d suddenly skipped too far forward in their relationship — directly from hesitant family relations to the heart to heart scene, but he was pretty sure that if he hugged Dojima right now, his reaction would make Yosuke’s seem downright overjoyed.

His uncle laughed abruptly, no humor in the sound. “Sorry, Yu. I didn’t mean to make things so depressing. So, if that’s settled, I trust we’ll start seeing you around at dinner again?” 

“Yes, uncle,” Yu replied, grateful for the subject change.

“Good. It’s been quiet around here this past week and Nanako missed you. Maybe we could have Yosuke over for dinner one of these days too, she likes him.”

Yu nodded, though he thought it would take some time before he managed to convince Yosuke to come over when he know Dojima would be around.

“Can you go get Nanako?”

Yu stood, but stopped before going up the stairs. “Is it ok if I tell her Yosuke and I are dating?”

He realised, belatedly, that he hadn’t actually told his uncle as much either, not in so many words, but the man waved him off. “Of course.”

* * *

When Yu opened the bedroom door, Nanako bounced up from where she’d been playing and looked at him intently.

“Are you and Dad done talking?”

Yu nodded, kneeling down to her level. “We are. And there’s something I want to tell you,” he said — but to his surprise, her face fell at his words.

“Big bro, are you leaving?” she asked, tears beginning to form in her eyes.

“ _What_?” He pulled her into a shocked hug. “Of course not, Nanako. Why would you… no. I’m not going anywhere.” He’d forgotten how lonely Nanako had been when he’d first moved here, this quiet, serious child all alone in her house most of the day. He must have worried her so much with the way he’d acted this last week… He really needed more practice at being a good older brother.

“I’m not leaving until next year,” he said, letting her go to look her in the eyes, “and even when I do I’ll come back to visit, and you can come see me too, okay?”

“Okay,” she replied, eyes still a bit watery but smiling now. “What did you want to tell me, then?”

“It’s about Yosuke, um… We… like each other,” he started hesitantly.

“Yeah, I know that.”

Yu laughed; that would teach him to be so roundabout with a child. “What I mean to say is, we like each other as more than just friends, Nanako. We’re dating.”

Nanako, however, didn’t seem too impressed. “I’m not dumb,” she replied indignantly, “I _know_.”

Wait. “Really?”

“I’ve seen you kissing,” she said, matter-of-fact, and Yu choked.

“Wh _—when_ exactly was that?”

Nanako seemed to suddenly remember something, eyes going wide before turning oddly guilty. “Um…a few weeks ago after school… I saw you through the window in the backyard.”

“But why were you in the backyard?” Yu asked, honestly confused. There was no reason for Nanako to go straight to the backyard when she got home, and her knock at the door was always enough warning for them to break apart.

She spun a little on her heel, looking away. “Promise you won’t get mad?”

“I promise,” Yu replied, now really curious as to where this was going.

“I could tell you two had a secret and I was investigating!”

Yu stared blankly at her before a snort escaped him, turning into a full-on Yukiko level laughing fit. Of course Nanako had found out. She wasn’t a detective’s daughter for nothing. He pulled her back into his arms and picked her up.

“You’re too smart for us, Nanako,” he finally stopped laughing long enough to say, and headed back to the living room with her still in his arms.

* * *

After the quiz show, when he was back in his bedroom, he texted Yosuke.

> **Yu** I talked to my uncle
> 
> **Yosuke** omg r u ok?
> 
> **Yu** Yeah, it’s fine. He wasn’t mad about us, just annoyed that I’ve been avoiding him.
> 
> **Yosuke** wow datz gr8 prtnR
> 
> **Yu** He wants you to come for dinner one of these days.
> 
> Oh, and he said if you ever hurt me he’d “handle it” just FYI.
> 
> **Yosuke** omg i promise i will nvr do nething 2 u kEp him awA frm me!!!!1!

Yu typed out a response without thinking, then kept staring at it as his face grew warmer and warmer. He flipped his phone open and shut a few times before finally deciding to send it, after which he hid his phone under his pillow and tried to remember how to breathe.

He had a string of replies waiting when he finally got the courage to check.

> **Yu** Yeah? Even if I asked you nicely?
> 
> **Yosuke** WTF PRTNER
> 
> wat f he reads ur txts!1!!1
> 
> he’s d police remMbR he cn DO DAT

And then, timestamped a few minutes later,

> **Yosuke** meb if u ask rly RLY nicely ;)
> 
> nd u lock ur DOOR!


End file.
